FM Cultural Calendar | Starting Friday, August 17, 2012

Funny Chekhov: Short Plays & VaudevillesThe Bear: A Vaudeville. Elena Popova, a young and attractive widow, has immersed herself in the role of mourning for her philandering but now dead husband. Luka, her frail and ancient man-servant, tries to snap her out of it. Then Smirnov barges in… The Proposal: A Vaudeville. A feud over the ownership of a meadow nearly upends a couple's engagement. Swan Song: A One-act Play. An old actor falls asleep in his dressing room following the performance and finds himself gazing forlornly into the blackness of the empty theatre. Drama: A Comedy. An unstoppable wanna-be playwright holds a famous writer captive as she details the increasingly absurd plot of her play. On the Evils of Tobacco: A Comic Sketch.08/17/2012 - 08/25/2012Stephen Foster Memorial Pittsburgh, PAwebsite | map

The Mozart EffectThe Rainier Trio performs with guest clarinetist Alex Jones in a program exploring the impact of Mozart on chamber music. Opening with Mozart's Kegelstatt Trio and concluding with the lyrical Quartet, Op. 1 by Rabl, inspired and championed by Brahms. The program also includes playful suites by Milhaud and Sowash inspired by theatrical and botanical subjects. Free admission. Nursery care available. Donations support Imagine No Malaria.08/19/2012Time: 6:30 pm

Second City for PresidentThis gut-busting revue will dole out laughter at the expense of both sides of the aisle. If you elect to attend, expect a campaign of non-stop hilarity and the wildest of political parties. The Second City, which launched the careers of Tina Fey, Stephen Colbert, Steve Carrell and many others, celebrates more than 50 years of cutting-edge satirical revues. Their current touring troupe features the next generation of the comedy world's best and brightest in improvisational and sketch comedy with musical accompaniment and audience participation.08/24/2012 - 08/25/2012O'Reilly Theater, 621 Penn Ave., Pittsburgh, PAwebsite | map

Duquesne University TamburitzansAmerica's longest-running multicultural song and dance company, the Duquesne University Tamburitzans is a unique ensemble of talented young folk artists dedicated to the performance and preservation of the music, songs, and dances of Eastern Europe and neighboring folk cultures.08/24/2012Time: 7:30 pm